The President says strategic communication can help attract investment, expand markets and promote Uganda’s development agenda, as the Public Relations Association of Uganda marks 50 years.
President Museveni has challenged public relations practitioners to intensify efforts to market Uganda as an investment destination, saying effective communication is critical to attracting investors, expanding markets and accelerating socioeconomic transformation.
Museveni’s message was delivered by State Minister for ICT and National Guidance Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo during the golden jubilee celebrations of the Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU).
Congratulating the association on 50 years, Museveni said communication professionals had a crucial role in projecting Uganda’s image, promoting investment opportunities and explaining the country’s development agenda to local and international audiences.
He urged practitioners to uphold ethical standards, continuously develop their skills and use their expertise to strengthen institutional reputations and improve Uganda’s competitiveness.
Museveni also called on communicators to promote patriotism, Pan-Africanism and public understanding of national development priorities. He compared ideological training, which the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government promotes, to “political immunisation” against confusion and misinformation.
“There is no point in immunising people against diseases while leaving them vulnerable to confusion and misinformation,” he said.
The President outlined what he described as the government’s achievements since taking power in 1986, including restoring peace and security and investing in transport and energy infrastructure.
He said electricity, transport, capital and labour costs were key factors influencing the cost of doing business, arguing that reducing them would help enterprises expand, improve productivity and compete in regional and international markets.
Museveni said Uganda offered investment opportunities through its domestic market, the East African Community and the wider African market. He urged public relations professionals to communicate these opportunities more effectively to potential investors.
Meanwhile, PRAU President Irene Nakasiita said strategic communication was essential for governments and institutions to achieve their objectives and ensure their work was understood by the public.
“Everything you do, if it is not told, it didn’t happen; you don’t leave a footprint,” Nakasiita said.
She also addressed concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) in the communication industry, saying it should enhance rather than replace human professionals.
“Even AI cannot replace communicators. We can only use it as a tool to enhance our work but not to replace us,” she said.
Nakasiita said AI could help practitioners retrieve historical information and improve their work, but stressed that human creativity, storytelling and professional judgment remained essential. She cautioned that poor-quality information and instructions could produce equally poor results.
She welcomed the government’s National Communication Policy and national artificial intelligence strategy, saying the initiatives could strengthen professionalism and improve communication services.
Nakasiita reaffirmed PRAU’s commitment to working with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance to support the sector’s development and help practitioners adapt to technological changes.
The golden jubilee celebrations bring together public relations and communication professionals to reflect on five decades of the association’s work and discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the profession.